Wednesday morning a group of Bil’in villagers, supported by Israeli and International activists, established an ‘outpost’ on lands recently cut off from the village by construction of ‘separation barrier’ in the West Bank. The ‘outpost’, permitted by Bil’in’s council and slated to serve as a peace center, was located only 100 meters from Matityahu East neighborhood of the illegal Israeli settlement Upper Modi’in. This evening the Israeli army dismantled the peace ‘outpost’ only 48 hours after it's establishment, contradicting it's accommodation of Israeli settlements and sparking a national discussion about apartheid. Seven activists arrested during the dismantling were later released after waiting for hours due to their refusal to sign orders preventing them from entering Bil'in for the next 15 days.

For the past 10 months Bil’in has struggled in the face of the Israeli occupation’s continued land confiscations, this time under the guise of Israel’s ‘security barrier’, demonstrating every Friday along with Israeli and International activists. Several Bil’in youths are currently incarcerated in Israeli jails, and several Israeli activists are facing charges following the demonstrations. The village continues ongoing activities: meetings, tours of the wall, direct actions, and the peace center. Today, despite Israeli army's tear gas, a few youth from Bil'in reportedly made their way to the center carrying cement hoping to keep working on the structure. Images: 1, 2,3.

add a comment on this article